Yoga Borgo: A Spiritual Haven in the Italian Foothills

The Borgo I Frati has reincarnated as a spiritual community over the course of its many lives. With roots in the fourth century, “the hamlet of friars” broke ground as a co-ed monastery and transformed into safe haven for pilgrims and religious center for surrounding mountain towns. Sada Sat Singh and Sada Sat Kaur, master Kundalini yoga teachers continued this deep tradition, transforming the hamlet into Yoga Borgo, an ashram steeped in the Kundalini tradition.When I first arrived at Yoga Borgo, it felt like coming home. Sada Sat Kaur picked me up at the local bus station following her regular trip to the co-op. The moment I met her, I connected with her strength and generous spirit. A long drive through cloistered medieval towns and a painterly landscape led us to a steep ascent. The Sada Sats make their home 2,000 feet up in foothills of the Appenine mountains, where the Italian regions of Tuscany, Umbria, and Le Marche meet. Surrounded by high ridges and mystical views of the Tiber River Valley, it’s hard to imagine a more breathtaking location.The Borgo strikes a perfect balance with its natural wonder, sumptuous Italian vegetarian cooking and divine yoga practice. Accommodations are in lovely shared rooms, all with magnificent overlooks. The understated splendor of the newly-renovated borgo makes this ashram feel like a country home, lacking austerity traditionally associated with the spiritual path. As former proprietors of the Golden Temple restaurants in Washington DC and Los Angeles, the Sada Sats whip up shared vegetarian meals based on traditional Italian recipes and delights from their garden. Sada Sat Singh is also a co-founder of Yogi Tea — don’t be surprised to see his favorite blends around the kitchen. In their lovely ashram home, I savored the richness of local cheeses and bread, along with hearty vegetarian meals and a strong dose of chocolate.Rustic Italian cuisine brought warmth to the Sada Sats’ yogic values, which reveal themselves in strong environmental awareness and a daily guided yoga practice. Kundalini Yoga, like the Borgo itself, is an ancient tradition. Since at least500 BC, this practice has awakened the upper echelons of yogic communities. In the 1960s, Yogi Bhajan brought these teachings to the United States with the intention of inspiring a broader awakening across religions and cultures. Yogic kriyas, or sets of movement within each class, offer some parallels to other yogic traditions but remain unique practices. The Sada Sats embody the yogic virtue of patience, and gently guided me through my first Kundalini classes — they even sent me home with meditations and kriyas attuned to my personal growth.The wildness and natural beauty of the Borgo fulfilled all my wanderlust. I completed a full-moon meditation on the top of a mountain ridge at midnight, harvested vegetables from an organic garden, and stared lovestruck at quaint Italian villages. The Sada Sats offer a multitude of choices for their guests, from teacher training programs, to immersive retreats and vegetarian cooking courses. I chose a personal retreat, taking advantage of the work-stay program. By helping out for four hours in the organic garden and kitchen, I cut the cost of my stay in half. This time working deepened my connection to the Borgo and taught me, quite to my own surprise, that I love having my hands in the dirt. Afternoons away from the garden pulled me deeper into nature along wilderness trails and into meandering conversations with heart-warming yogis.The Borgo set a new precedent for wellness and community, encouraging self-reflection and cultural exploration. Next time, I want to go back during truffle season. As much as the Borgo tugs on my heartstrings, it also calls to my taste buds!

3 Comments

Thank you for this wonderful article and the gorgeous photographs. My respect for the Sada Sats is immense. They were among my first teachers in kundalini yoga, and I cannot thank them enough for all they have taught me. One day – hopefully soon – I will see the lush Yoga Borgo in person. Until then I savor the pictures.

Sheryl Lo Conte

What a lovely article about the Sada Sat’s. I’ve been studying with them for many years and frequently go to Yoga Borgo for Teacher Trainings. I’m originally from Boston and I’ve been living in Rome for many, many years. I enjoyed this article and the pictures were spot on.